Breakthrough Training in Togo

In our last issue we reported about Chris Amapadu’s new training opportunity with Mercy Ships. Here, Chris shares some further fruit from a training in Kara, Togo.

Last week’s experience in Kara with Mercy Ships was just wonderful as almost 400 community leaders were mobilized to be trained. On the last day, l started the day by asking the participants to share a discipline of love done the previous day as a result of what they had learned. Over 50 people, including Moslems, told of transformed attitudes towards their wives. Many showed true love toward their spouse for first time. Others had started planting flowers in their homes, creating beauty and taking the mantle of stewardship of nature and their environment.

l made a presentation of a copy of Hope for Africa to the chief Imam. Even though he was very grateful, he insisted in buying for himself If Jesus were Mayor to my surprise!

A steering committee of 15 was appointed to encourage further implementation of the teaching. They have already met twice! The Moslem youth leader was full of praise and appreciation for our teachings and promised that they will do whatever it takes to realize the aim and objectives of Mercy Ships i.e. “Partnership for Development.” To God be the glory!

Mercy Ships Incorporates DNA Training

An innovative ministry of wholistic service has embraced DNA training for its Africa volunteers. For the first time, Mercy Ships sent a volunteer crew to a four-week Worldview and Development training led by Chris Ampadu, West Africa representative for Samaritan Strategy Africa.

“We are very excited about this program and we count ourselves as privileged to have this opportunity to serve Mercy Ships,” Chris said.

“Starting this year they want to send all their new African crew members through this Worldview and Development course before they are admitted into long-term work on the ship. A big opportunity, and we give God all the GLORY.”

Twelve crew members from Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Sierra Leone lived for one month at the Samaritan House Fse-Amasaman campus in Accra.

The four weeks included over 50 presentations including all 43 topics of the BASICS 1 course. Chris was joined by his Ghana team – Patience Mensah, Nora Naana, Joseph Antwi, and Victor Owiredu as presenters. The trainees celebrated their graduation February 4.

“Two guests from the Human Development Deptartment of Mercy Ships joined us to graduate these first crew members from the new Africa Gateway,” Chris said. Gateway is Mercy Ship’s term for their training program.

DNA founders Bob Moffitt and Darrow Miller have been associated with Mercy Ships for years. More recently, Chris has served multiple times as the main speaker for the ship’s pastors conferences in Liberia, Benin, Togo, and Sierra Leone.

“It is just wonderful, the first opportunity to have people stay with me for such a long time and to do a detailed study of these lessons,” Chris reported.

“I have already planned for three conferences in Togo with Mercy Ships this year: March 4-8, 13-16 and April 1-6.”

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